PHP Timestamp Handling

PHP Timestamp Handling – Work with Unix Timestamps ⏳

In PHP, timestamps are like a time machine! They represent the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 (Unix Epoch). We use timestamps for date comparisons, scheduling, and much more.

🔹 Getting the Current Timestamp

Use time() to get the current timestamp.

<?php
echo "Current Timestamp: " . time();
?>

For example, if time() returns 1712048400, it means **April 2, 2025, 12:00:00 AM UTC**.

🔹 Converting a Timestamp to a Readable Date

Use date() to convert a timestamp into a formatted date.

<?php
$timestamp = 1712048400; // Example timestamp
echo "Formatted Date: " . date("Y-m-d H:i:s", $timestamp);
?>

This converts 1712048400 into 2025-04-02 00:00:00.

🔹 Getting a Timestamp for a Specific Date

Use strtotime() to convert a string date into a timestamp.

<?php
$timestamp = strtotime("2025-12-31");
echo "Timestamp for Dec 31, 2025: " . $timestamp;
?>

This tells us the number of seconds between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2025.

🔹 Adding & Subtracting Time with Timestamps

We can easily modify dates using strtotime() with relative phrases.

<?php
$nextWeek = strtotime("+1 week");
echo "Next week's date: " . date("Y-m-d", $nextWeek);
?>

Other examples:

• strtotime("+3 days") → Adds 3 days
• strtotime("-1 month") → Subtracts 1 month

🔹 Comparing Timestamps

Since timestamps are just numbers, comparing dates is super easy!

<?php
$eventDate = strtotime("2025-05-01");
$now = time();

if ($now > $eventDate) {
    echo "The event has already happened! 🎉";
} else {
    echo "The event is in the future! ⏳";
}
?>

This is great for countdowns, scheduling, and reminders!

🔹 Getting the Difference Between Two Dates

We can subtract timestamps to find the difference between two dates.

<?php
$startDate = strtotime("2025-01-01");
$endDate = strtotime("2025-12-31");

$diff = $endDate - $startDate;
$days = $diff / (60 * 60 * 24); // Convert seconds to days

echo "Days between dates: $days";
?>

This tells us there are **364 days** between **January 1, 2025**, and **December 31, 2025**.

🎯 Key Takeaways

• time() gives the current timestamp.
• date() converts a timestamp to a readable format.
• strtotime() converts a date string into a timestamp.
• We can add, subtract, and compare timestamps easily.

📝 Practice Time!

Try converting different dates into timestamps and calculating the number of days between them. Can you figure out how many seconds are in a year? 🚀